Herbed Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Yield: 8 servings
1 cup quinoa; rinsed in a mesh colander
2 cups water
15 oz. chickpeas, canned; rinsed and drained
1½ cups baby spinach; roughly chopped
½ cup fresh parsley; chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro; chopped
⅓ cup green onion; chopped, green parts only
⅓ cup Feta cheese; crumbled
⅓ cup pepitas; toasted
Lemon-Tahini Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon sesame tahini
1 clove garlic; minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper; ground
Nutrition information
Serving Size: ½ cup
Calories: 269
Total Fat: 14.6 g
Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 6.0 g
Sodium: 215 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 26.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g
Sugars: 0.9g
Protein: 9.5 g
Source: Cookie and Kate. Kathryne Taylor
Instructions
1. To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and making popping noises, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl to cool for a few minutes.
3. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Taste and add up to 1 more tablespoon of lemon juice and/or more pepper if necessary.
4. Add the quinoa to the large bowl. Add the chickpeas, spinach, parsley, cilantro, green onion, Feta and toasted pepitas. Drizzle all of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.